Xenophobic
by hostilecrayon
Summary: Xenophobe: A person unduly fearful or contemptuous of that which is foreign, especially of strangers or foreign peoples. 1 equals 2, 3 equals 4
1. Prologue

Title: Xenophobic  
Author: hostilecrayon  
Pairing: 12  
Rating: PG (For now)  
Warnings: Prologue is angsty, but overall, it's a romance, AU with some Canon parallels  
Disclaimer: Don't own it, sadly.  
Notes: It struck me that I've never written anything that started with an X, among other letters. I was randomly thinking "what could I ever write that starts with an X?" Well, Xenophobe popped into my head… and here we are. It was too perfect to pass up.  
Oh, and this prologue is set when Duo's nine, but the actual story will be set when he's 25.

**Xenophobic**

**xen·o·phobe**  
_n._

A person unduly fearful or contemptuous of that which is foreign, especially of strangers or foreign peoples.

---

A nine year old Duo Maxwell dragged his backpack tiredly down the street. It would probably need yet another patch to keep it together, but he figured it didn't matter so much. Sister Helen loved making quilts, and it seemed like it was the same basic principle.

He wasn't in much of a hurry, but then, there wasn't much reason for him to be. He'd given up long ago on a family taking him in. Besides, he liked being with Solo, Father Maxwell and Sister Helen. During the day though, they were very busy, and Solo's school let out at three fifteen. Since Duo's school let out at two ten, he wouldn't have anyone to play with for quite some time. Sometimes, when he got really bored, he'd sneak through the little hole in the fence and look for his classroom, being Solo's high school was right next to the Maxwell Orphanage and Church. But it was Wednesday, and Wednesday was chore day, so he wouldn't be able to explore the school he was told he would someday go to. It was just another reason to drag his feet.

In the distance, he heard sirens. It was a common occurrence on L2, though Sister Helen had told him stories of a place called Earth, where the air was cleaner and the people were nicer. If he didn't have to hear sirens everyday, he thought he'd definitely go there someday. Of course, he vowed to take Sister Helen with him if he ever went, and Father Maxwell and Solo, too. Sometimes, when he laid awake listening to the sounds of the night, he would imagine that they were a real family that lived on Earth in a little house with a nice fence like he'd seen in the picture books Sister Helen kept in her room.

"It's a fire!"

"There are children in there!"

The shouts floated around the block to Duo, and he hefted his bag higher so he could start to run. He'd always been taught to help those in need.

"Who would do such a thing?"

"I heard it was OZ. Father Maxwell supported the Alliance's notion of peace, and with his social standing on L2, he was more influential than OZ was willing to allow."

Duo overheard the conversation and started pushing through the crowd of people that was gathering. He could see the smoke, and the smell burned the inside of his nose. He tried to yell out, but his voice was swallowed by the much too close wail of the fire truck as it flew by.

He had to get to his family. Real or not, they were all he had!

"Did anyone survive?"

"We're still looking, but it doesn't look good."

"The fire even spread to the school next door. All those children…"

"It really is a shame."

Shoving the people blocking his path aside, he bolted through the crowd and past the yellow caution tape to view the scene in all its absolute horror.

"Hey kid, you can't go in there!"

Crumbling before his very eyes was the home he had known since he was only five years old. Stone crumbled under the weight where wooden beams had once held and the stained glass window was but shattered shards littering the ground. Fire fighters still sprayed water futilely on the few resilient flames licking at the building.

"Kid! I said get away from there!"

Next to it, the school smoldered while men in red and yellow coats and hats pulled lifeless bodies out of the rubble on little white stretchers. His eyes widened when he saw a tuft of blonde hair and a burned, but still handsome face lay unmoving, carried by two firemen. His indigo eyes widened. "…Solo?"

Hands grabbed his sides and pulled him back, but Duo's eyes never left Solo's face. He was so still. It wasn't right for him to be so still. Even in sleep, he tossed and turned, and his left eye twitched ever so slightly.

"Kid? Hey kid."

"Duo."

"You know this kid, ma'am?"

"Yes… bring him… to me… please."

Duo tore his face away from Solo's at the sound of the voice. "Sister Helen?"

She lay flat on her back, propped up only by a small, flat pillow. Her clothes were burned and covered with soot, and she coughed violently as he slowly approached her.

"Yes, my child. I want you… to have… this." Her breaths were short, and dangling in her hand was a silver cross, and he reached out to touch it.

"But… this is your favorite."

"Take it… my… child. May it… guide you… and… protect you…" She coughed violently again, holding her stomach. "When we… cannot be…"

"Sister?"

She turned to the fire fighter that had pulled Duo from the front of the building. "Take him… away from… here…"

He nodded, understanding completely. "I will."

"Sister Helen?" The man lifted him up and began to carry him away from her.

"Go… with God…" She wheezed.

"Sister Helen!" His hand shot out towards her, and he kicked at the man who carried him, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get free.

"Do you think that nun is going to make it?"

"She was hit by a huge rock right in the chest. She's inhaled a lot of smoke, and when she hit the ground, a broken board pierced her side. It's a wonder she's still alive at all. All we can do is make her comfortable now. She won't last more than a few minutes."

"SISTER HELEN!"

"That's horrible. The priest died instantly, I heard. I wasn't here yet when they hauled him out."

"Kid. Hey, kid. Hello?"

The man turned, blocking his view of Sister Helen following him with her eyes, and he screamed.

"I think this kid is in shock. Do you think you could sit with him while I drive?"

"Sure thing. Just sit tight, kid. We'll get you out of here in a jiffy. Will you take some aspirin for me?" Pills were pressed against his mouth and he opened his lips automatically. Water was poured in and he swallowed, his eyes never leaving the burning image of the church. He watched it tumble into nothingness through the glass windows in the back of the ambulance.

First his parents and now his new family. So many of his friends died in the plague when he was younger, too. So many people around him, all dying. His love was a curse.

Nine years old, Duo's indigo eyes were wide open, watching his home burning, making a vow to never love anyone ever again.


	2. Chapter 1

Title: Xenophobic  
Author: hostilecrayon  
Pairing: 1 equals 2, 3 equals 4  
Rating: PG (For now)  
Warnings: AU with canon parallels  
Disclaimer: I own… the Pepsi I'm drinking?  
Notes: Ah, the first chapter. This was surprisingly easy for me to write. For some reason, it just came to me so easily. See what a three month writer's block can do for you? I'm catching up, heh. I hope you all enjoy, and happy holidays, everyone.

**Xenophobic – Chapter 1**

"You sure you don't want to hit up that party tonight, Duo? I heard Dorothy is going to be there, and I'm just itching to see her drunk." Hilde Schbeiker pushed her bag higher on her shoulder to keep it from sliding off her shoulder and she grinned, her eyes glowing with mischief.

Naw, I'll just have to miss out on THAT fun," he quipped. "I'm working on my term paper."

"Can't you do it tomorrow? It's bound to be the party of the century, you know." She gave him a serious look, but the effect was ruined by the tiny grin she just couldn't seem to hide.

Duo rolled his eyes. "You say that about every party. And I will be doing it tomorrow. And tonight. And probably everyday until the deadline."

Hilde groaned dramatically. "When is the deadline again?"

"A week. But then, you knew that because you've been working on your term paper too, right?" Duo looked at her out of the corner of his eyes and raised an eyebrow expectantly.

She smiled sheepishly and ducked her head. "Well, I have my theory pretty much figured out… I'll probably knock most of it out tomorrow."

"With that hangover?"

She hit him lightly on the arm. "I just can't understand how someone as disorganized as you could be such a perfectionist when it comes to schoolwork."

Duo shrugged. "It's important to me, that's all." His fingers absent-mindedly tugged at the chain around his neck.

"Weirdo. Are we meeting at Kelby's for lunch?"

"Yeah, Quatre will be there, too."

"Cool. I'll swing by his Astronomy class after painting."

"See ya then."

Hilde turned down the path to the Liberal Arts building and Duo waved as he continued on his way to the boys' dormitory. As he walked, he made sure to take in the scenery of lush trees and fluffy green grass. Though it was something he saw everyday now, he never grew tired of it. The stone paths were colorful with different sized stones to give them a unique, natural look that somehow seemed perfectly matched with the giant, modern buildings. The sandy colored walls gave the campus a bright feel, yet the unique shapes and sculptures gave them a certain flair. The Earth Sphere Unified Nation University, or ESUNU, was one of the most coveted campuses for a reason. Only the best – and usually the richest – ever set foot in a classroom there.

Duo made it a point to appreciate the opportunity. Earth was such a beautiful place. He couldn't, for the life of him, figure out why so many people took that for granted.

"Hey Tro." He tossed his bag down on his unmade bed and immediately started digging through it.

Trowa Barton nodded hello to his roommate, a slight, almost imperceptible motion to anyone who didn't know him. "Were you assigned a freshman?"

"Crap, I forgot all about that! When is it again?"

"Monday night."

"Damn it. They couldn't have picked a worse week, could they?" Duo sighed. "But no, seniors have the choice to refuse a freshman if it interferes with our final project."

Trowa raised an eyebrow. "Does it?"

"Not really. It isn't due until the end of next semester. But it DOES interfere with my term paper, and that's a little more important to me right now than carting an incoming freshman around for a day. I still have to go to the damn ceremony, though. Why the hell do they have so many people starting in the spring, anyway?"

"This IS the most popular college in the Earth Sphere."

"I guess. Are you going to Kelby's with us?"

"Who's going to be there?"

"The usual. Quatre's going to be there too, for once. I swear, there isn't a soul on campus busier than that kid. I don't know how he manages it."

"Kid? He's twenty-five."

"Well, he has a young face."

"So do you."

"And?"

"You two are the same age."

"Okay, grandpa. Only someone as old as you would keep score."

"Twenty-six is old now, is it? I'll be sure to pass down my old walker to you next year."

"Thanks pal. You're a real friend." Duo grinned, setting up his laptop and various notebooks and folders so he could work on his paper.

"Anytime," Trowa grinned. "I could probably meet you guys for lunch. My next class gets out at 12:30."

"That's just about perfect. It seems the general consensus is one o'clock, so you'll be right on time."

"Alright. I'll see you then." As Trowa slinked away to his next class, Duo took in the silence and began to write. Maybe he'd feel better about the fourth revision.

---

Heero Yuy checked his watch for the seventh time that hour. If the taxi didn't arrive soon, he'd miss the shuttle. He ran through his mental checklist again to make sure he didn't forget anything while waiting impatiently on the sidewalk in front of his apartments. He couldn't believe they were twenty minutes late. He swore to never use Red Flag Taxi Service ever again. But then, if things panned out, in a month he wouldn't have to worry about the taxi service. Or anything on L1, for that matter.

It was something he was greatly looking forward to.

When the taxi finally pulled up – twenty-three and a half minutes late, by Heero's watch – he ran his fingers irritatedly through his hair and pulled open the back door almost before it had fully stopped.

"Would you like to put your bag in the trunk, sir?" The greasy looking kid no older than his own twenty-five years asked with poorly faked politeness.

Heero's blue eyes narrowed as he slammed the door shut. "No. I'd like you to get me to the Chesterfield Shuttle Port with enough time left to check in."

"When does your flight leave?"

"Thirty-five minutes."

"Geeze, dude. That's impossible." The fake politeness melted away and was replaced by a look of disbelief.

"It wouldn't have been if you had been on time, and it won't be if you stop talking and start driving. Think you can handle that?"

The kid said nothing as he sped off, barely remembering to refasten his seatbelt.

Heero made it there with five minutes to spare. He scowled as he shoved money into the kid's hand and ran through the automatic doors and down the terminal. He chucked his bag onto the conveyer belt and shoved his ticket in the security guards' face, slid through the metal detector only to grab the strap of his bag and take off running again. The twenty-four hour non-stop flight only came once every two days, and he'd be damned if he'd miss his counseling appointment. It was his last chance to get into ESUNU next semester, and the sooner he could start, the better.

Down the terminal, he could hear the last call for boarding and he kicked into double time, sliding to a halt in front of the woman just as she was closing the doors. Slightly out of breath, he just held up his boarding pass and didn't wait to hear what she had to say before pushing the door back open and entering the shuttle.

It was a considerably sized space craft, and typical of the time of year, the bland, brown seats were full of people traveling to see family and friends. The entirety of the interior was distastefully dingy, giving the large space a small and dirty feel to it. He sighed heavily when the sound of a wailing child pierced his ears. When he grabbed the only remaining seat next to the four year old making the noise, he rubbed his temples.

It was going to be a long trip.

---

Duo strolled into Kelby's at one ten, fashionably late as usual. He spied the crowd in the corner; Hilde sipping a coke and talking to Relena, Millardo, Relena's brother better known as Zechs playing pool with Trowa while Lucrezia, known as Noin, watched, and Wufei listening intently to something Quatre was telling him. Steam wafted from the fresh pizzas along the few tables pushed together to make their usual spot.

"Hey," Duo grinned, dropping his bag into an empty seat and grabbing the chair next to Quatre. "How's it hanging?" Most of the group nodded or grunted their acknowledgement, while Hilde saluted him, Relena said a polite hello, and Quatre turned and gave him a loose hug.

"I'm really glad I could make it this time," Quatre Winner said, running a hand through his honey golden hair. "I've just been so busy lately learning all the ins and outs of my father's business on top of school."

"You should tell him to lighten up a bit, Quat. It's the holidays, after all."

"There's nothing wrong with learning what his responsibilities are," Wufei said quietly.

"Maybe YOU should lighten up, 'Fei. Always so serious." Duo grinned at him, though Wufei paid him no mind.

"I don't really mind, Duo. I mean, it's a lot of work, but it's really better if I learn it now. I'm hoping to be able to give my father a break next summer, but I have to learn the ropes quickly if I'm going to do that."

"Always the thoughtful one, Quat." Duo slapped him lightly on the back. "That's why I always come to you for advice."

Quatre flushed slightly at the praise, throwing off the nonchalance he was going for with his shrug. "I do what I can."

"Hey Duo!" Hilde called down the row of tables, and Duo looked at Quatre helplessly.

He covered his mouth and whispered conspiratorially, "Women. I better go before she comes over here. I'll throw myself to the wolves to save you."

They grinned at each other and Quatre nudged him and said, "Good looking out, Duo." Wufei just rolled his eyes.

Duo left his stuff and headed down the tables to sit across from Hilde and Relena. "Yo sis, your highness," He saluted Hilde and inclined his head to Relena. Hilde smirked at the pet name and Relena frowned a little at the title.

"I really wish you wouldn't call me that, Duo. I've told you before, the Peacecraft legacy is little more than a memory now." Relena Peacecraft, or Relena Darlian as she liked to be called, tucked a strand of her dark blonde hair behind one ear, clearly embarrassed by the way Duo singled her out, but too much of a politician to really let it show.

Quick to forgive, she smoothly switched to another topic as if the one before it never existed. "Are you ready for finals?"

"Yeah, pretty much. I'm still not quite satisfied with my term paper, though. I'd feel a bit more confident about my finals if I could stop worrying over this paper and start some actual studying."

"Haven't you written that paper seven times now?" Hilde pitched in, rolling her eyes at Duo's excessive attitude towards his studies.

"Four, though it might end up going through seven more if I don't manage to shake this feeling that it's not quite right." Duo ran his fingers through his bangs; the only outward sign of his annoyance.

Relena cocked her head slightly in interest. "Which class? Is it a flow problem or are you worried about the actual content? I did well in Literature, so if you need someone to proofread what you have, I'd be happy to do it."

Duo waved her off. "No no, I'll be alright. I just feel like there's something missing. It's for my Behavioral Psych class. I'm writing about the drive behind emotions and what creates them. It's something I've always had a theory on, so I didn't think it would be a problem, but…"

Hilde just shook her head. "Duo, you write brilliantly. I'm sure your theory is as well thought-out as it could be. Give it a rest, will ya? You give Quatre a hard time, but you're almost as bad as he is." She cocked her head to the side and rubbed at her chin as if deep in thought. "Actually, now that I think of it… you're worse. Yeah, definitely worse."

Duo threw a napkin at her, but it fell just short of its goal, floating haphazardly to the table just in front of her. She shot him a smug look and used the napkin to wipe some of the pizza grease from her fingers. "Why thank you, Duo. You're so kind."

"Anyways," he said to Relena, ignoring Hilde entirely, "I think it will be okay. Maybe another revision will settle my doubts about it." Though the one that morning hadn't; he didn't feel the need to bring that to their attention. "What did you call me over here for, anyway?"

"Oh, nothing. You so rudely ignored us on your way in, so I thought I would get your attention for a moment before you resume your hibernation."

"Whatever." He grabbed a slice of cheese pizza and took a large bite, making his way over to the pool table. From the looks of things, Trowa was winning by a small margin, and Duo leaned against the wall next to Noin to partake in the show.

Lucrezia Noin stood with her arms folded, her eyes focused intently on the shot that Zechs was about to take. Before he even took the shot, she sighed and looked over at Duo. "He's a hair too far to the right. He'll scratch." Sure enough, not two seconds later, Zechs swore mildly to himself as the cue ball fell into the left pocket.

Duo grinned. Noin's geometry was flawless. "Nice shot, Millardo." Zechs' eyes narrowed in annoyance at the name, but he merely stepped back to observe his opponent getting in position for his shot. He turned back to Noin. "So how's life been treatin' ya?"

"Same as usual. You?"

"I can't really complain." He folded his legs and settled into the wall a bit more. "I opted to get out of the Freshman babysitting, so despite wasting my Monday evening, I'll still have my Tuesday relatively free for a cram session."

"Lucky you," she smiled ruefully. "Because so many of you seniors take the easy way out, all of us Juniors have one."

"I can't wait to see how bad Millardo scares his." Duo chuckled at the thought. Images of a poor freshman getting a lecture on fine art and wine came unbidden to mind.

"Duo," Noin gently admonished him, "must you call him that? You know he hates it."

He smirked at her. "I know, that's why I do it."

She shook her head and made a motion with her hands as if telling some deity it was out of her hands. "What am I going to do with you?"

"You could spank me if you really want to, but I can't promise I won't like it." Duo winked at her, mischief playing on his lips.

She laughed. "You're hopeless, you know that?"

"I think I've been told that once or twice." He snickered, looking back to the game just in time to see Trowa sink the eight ball. "Nice, Tro. It's good to know that there's SOMETHING Millardo can be bested at." A smirk danced across his lips. "I could think of a couple other things I could probably best him at, but they aren't suitable for the public."

"Maxwell, could you be any more crude?" Zechs glared at him, distaste written across his features.

It only made Duo smile more. "Why yes, yes I could."

"Duo, leave him alone before one of you kills the other. It's hard to play pool in a puddle of blood," Trowa said seriously, but the twitch at the corner of his mouth contradicted his tone. Amusement danced in his green eyes and Duo winked at him.

"I hate to be the one to break up the fun," Quatre said, "but it's about time I left. I have to meet my Father at two-thirty in the office."

"Already, Q? Don't you get any time to yourself?"

"I've been here for forty-five minutes. It's not my fault that you're always late." Quatre smiled apologetically at Duo and shouldered his bag. "You're going to be at the Christmas Celebration, right? You're invited. Everyone here is, for that matter."

"Christmas is in over two weeks! I'm hoping I'll see you again before that, at least," Duo scoffed. "But yeah, I'll be there."

Quatre smiled and turned to leave when Duo remembered something. "Oh yeah, did you get a freshman?"

"No, I'm a sophomore, remember? No freshmen for me."

"Oh, that's right. I always forget." Duo grinned maliciously. "Maybe we should throw a party. You know, for those of us who didn't get freshmen." Hilde practically growled at him from her spot behind the table.

Quatre smirked. "Maybe." He waved to the group. "See you guys later."

Wufei stood. "I also should go. I have class in an hour."

"So are we calling it a day then?" Duo asked the group at large. After some positive responses, he grabbed his bag. "Alright then, I'll catch you guys later. I should get back to my term paper. I can hear it calling my name all the way from here." After a few goodbyes, Duo headed on his way. Fifth time's the charm, or so he hoped.

---

The second the intercom announced that passengers could retire to their cabins, Heero had to suppress the urge to run. He pulled his bag from the overhead compartment and walked at a steadily increasing pace to cabin 121, sliding into what looked more like a closet than a cabin. Frustrated, he shoved his bag under the small cot protruding from the wall and sat on it; his head in his hands.

He told himself he could hole up in his little closet for twenty-three hours without going crazy. It was only twenty-three hours. He'd been confined to smaller spaces for longer periods of time before. For ESUNU, he could do this, easily.

He lifted his head wearily and took in his surroundings. There was a slight walkway between the cot and the wall, and in the corner stuffed precariously between the two was a small desk closely resembling something from a broke down high school in the poor section of L1. There was no bathroom, or even a sink for that matter. There was some sort of communal bathroom and shower down the hall, but he was hoping that he might be able to refrain from using it if possible. If the little wall cot wasn't in the way, he could have lay down and been able to touch both walls at the same time without even fully extending his arms. He was loathe to see what the double rooms looked like. In that moment, he was grateful he had paid the extra cost for the single. He couldn't imagine having a stranger that far inside his personal space.

He sighed, sliding his bag out from underneath the bed and retrieving his laptop. He hadn't opted to pay the extra for internet services, and he was sorely regretting it now. At the time, he imagined the hundred credits were better spent elsewhere, but now he figured his sanity was a little more important than cutting corners.

Frowning, he opened one of his e-books and took to studying. There wasn't much else he could do.

But he was getting off L1. If he could just get into ESUNU, he'd never have to go back there. He could even dip into his savings to have his stuff packed and shipped to him. It sounded appealing, and a part of his mind entertained the idea while the rest continued reading.

---

Duo knocked quietly on the door to the Director of Psychology's office, paper in hand.

"Come on in."

Duo pushed the door open and saluted. "Good Afternoon, G."

Dr. Scott Gardner smiled at his star senior and waved for him to have a seat. "What have you got for me today, Duo?"

Duo sprawled out in the chair and tossed his term paper on his desk. "Just thought I would get this out of my life before I revise it for the millionth time."

Dr. Gardner raised an eyebrow, picking the paper up and flipping through it. "It definitely has some weight to it," He chuckled, making a show of weighing the paper in his hand. "Did you find what you were looking for, then?"

"No, not really. I mean, it's fine without it. I just can't help but think it could be better. I'm just not sure how." He shrugged. "I was going to hang on to it until the deadline, but I realized that I'd never get anything else done if I didn't get rid of it."

Dr. Gardner was quiet for a moment as he read over the first few paragraphs. "Your theory is interesting, Duo. I look forward to reading it."

"Thanks, G. If you have any insight on what I might be missing, be sure to pass the word along, okay?"

"I will. Now get out of here. Don't you have finals you should be studying for?"

Duo grinned. "I'll catch you later, G."

He got up and walked out of the office, and despite his lack of time, Dr. Gardner adjusted his glasses and started to read.

---

The flight couldn't have ended sooner, and Heero sighed in relief when it finally docked. It turned out he had to brave the restroom, and it was just as bad as he had thought. He had managed to hold it until the end of the flight, and he tried his hardest to ignore the smell of the dirty diapers overflowing the garbage can. Against his better judgment, he took a shower, reasoning that it would be difficult to impress a councilor in rumbled clothes and a day and a half of funk hovering about him. The level of soap scum and calcium deposits covering the shower area was almost enough to make him risk it, but he endured it long enough to wash quickly.

He was all too happy to be walking on earth's soil. It had been more than two years since he was last on Earth, and he didn't realize how much he missed it. Even if the circumstances were less than favorable the last time he had come, he had been no less enchanted by the place. It was then that he had decided that he would rather live in the lowest slum on Earth where things were natural than the richest section of L1 where everything, despite its expense, was completely fake. Even the trees looked more alive on Earth.

He hailed a cab, putting his morose thoughts behind him. It was time to look to the future, and he gave the name of the hotel that would be the starting point for the beginning of the rest of his life – a new life where his past had no hand in his future.

He asked the cab driver to wait as he quickly checked into his room at the Regal Hotel and parted with his luggage before getting back in the cab and going straight to ESUNU. He knew the time would be close, but he was confident that he'd be on time.

Slightly out of breath and with five minutes to spare, he checked in and took a seat on the overly comfortable sofa in the counseling office waiting room. He was slightly nervous and more than a little tired, and he tried to relax by sinking into the fluffy cushions. Before his body could fully relax, he heard his name and almost leapt up, walking briskly to the woman who had called his name.

She was blond with dark blue eyes, and much to Heero's surprise, younger than him. Her bright face wasn't one of more than 21 years, if she was even that old. She had a cheerful smile, and her voice was sweet and soothing when she said, "Follow me, please." Her pleasant demeanor helped to calm his nerves, and he followed her; his confidence firmly in place.

"Go ahead and take a seat." She motioned to a comfortable chair sitting in front of a small desk covered with little knick-knacks; photos, Christmas cards and community service awards were among many of the decorations cluttering her workspace. The entire office has a cluttered feel to it, but somehow, it managed to seem homey at the same time. She sat gracefully in her swivel chair and clicked a few keys on her keyboard, turning the screen slightly so Heero could see as well. His file popped up on screen and she turned to look at him. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Yuy. I am Sylvia Noventa, and I will be your councilor for the duration of your stay at ESUNU."

Heero's eyes widened slightly at the name, but he extended his fingers to hers and shook her hand. "Please, call me Heero. Noventa, you said…?"

She smiled softly, her grim firm and warm around his hand before she released it. "I know what you're thinking, and yes, I am the granddaughter of Field Marshal Noventa, as he was known publicly."

His gaze wandered across her cluttered desk, and sure enough, his eyes came to lie upon a picture of a man with his hair dusted white and grey in an Alliance uniform hugging a much younger Sylvia in a pink sundress and a goofy grin. He paled slightly. "Your Grandfather was a great man."

With a soft smile, she sighed, "Yes, he was."

Heero found himself at a loss for words.

She turned to the computer once again, pointing at something on the screen. "Your high school GPA is quite impressive, as are your SAT scores. I can't help but wonder why you didn't apply for college sooner."

Heero coughed, sitting up a little in his chair. "At the time, I had other things I wished to accomplish."

"I see here that you were enlisted in the Alliance Military not long after you turned eighteen."

"Yes." As far as he was concerned, he had nothing to say on the matter.

Sylvia could see his hesitance, and did not pursue the subject further. "As you may or may not know, it is highly unusual for us to accept students so close to the Freshmen Entry Ceremony. Could you tell me why you want to enter now instead of waiting for the fall registration period? In other words, what brings you to ESUNU now, of all times?"

Heero shifted in his seat, thinking over his answer before speaking. "I'm looking for a change. Not something small like a change of work or location, but something bigger… a life change, I guess you could say."

She scrolled down on her computer, looking for something on his application. "It says here that you would like to declare yourself as an English major. Can you tell me a little bit about why you chose this major of all of the ones we offer here at ESUNU?"

"Again, it has to do with change. It's different than anything I have ever done – yet it holds a lot of meaning for me. Communication is one of the most important aspects of human culture, and I feel that to learn what drives the creative mind will bring me closer to understanding the dynamics of communication. Unlike Communication Studies, Literature is not only about what people feel needs to be said. It covers needs, but at the same time, it covers wants and hopes and dreams. To me, it represents the fantasies of mankind, and thus, how and what they really think."

"Very thought-provoking answer, Heero." She typed in a few things on her keyboard before closing the window and facing him once again. "I'm going to make the exception you asked for and allow your enrollment into ESUNU. I will take your requested classes into consideration and, based on availability, arrange a schedule for you, which you will receive with the rest of the freshmen during the ceremony on Monday. It will be in the East Ballroom at six o'clock, and there will be plenty of signs to help you find it. I see that you've decided on off-campus housing. If you need any help locating a residence, let me know and I will help you get in touch with the housing district. Now, do you have any questions for me before you meet the Headmistress?"

Heero was nearly ecstatic at the news, but his conscience prevented him from the level of achievement he thought he would feel. After a moment's thought and a whole different kind of nervousness overcoming him, he stood and looked Sylvia directly in the eyes. "Miss Noventa…"

"Please, call me Sylvia. I'm much too young for official-sounding titles." Her warm smile did nothing for the twist in his gut.

"Sylvia…" He swallowed, gathering his strength. Though he knew that she would never know if he just didn't say anything, he couldn't stay silent. It just wasn't right. Not even if he lost his hope for ESUNU in the process. "Before you make anything official…"

"Yes, Heero? Do you have second thoughts?"

"No, it's nothing like that. I… well, you know I served in the Alliance. I served under your Grandfather for a while…"

"You knew him personally, then?"

Heero's mouth felt dry and he longed for something cold to drink. He wanted to look away, but he knew that Sylvia deserved more than that. "I was directly involved in the accident that took his life." He did look away then, examining the blue threading on the chair he had just gotten out of. "I'll understand if you want to retract your offer of enrollment."

"Heero." Her voice was smooth, and though she didn't sound like she was going to throw him out, he didn't want to see the eyes of someone who's Grandfather died at his expense. "Heero," she said a little louder, "Look at me."

He did then, if only because she had commanded him to. To his surprise, her eyes were not filled with accusations or hatred, but with compassion. "It was an accident."

"It was my fault." His voice was so filled with self-hatred, it sounded foreign to his ears.

"It was no one's fault. It happened, and it has past now. I have come to terms with his death. He died doing what he loved; striving to bring peace to the world. I like to believe that he had a hand in the peace we have finally achieved after all of those years of war and destruction. I know that if he were here today, he would not blame you."

Heero stared at her, stunned.

She put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently. "You can't blame yourself for things that are so far in the past. It was an accident. Your intentions are good, but you can't go through life blaming yourself for the past. I've come to terms with it, and I hope that someday, you can do the same." She let her fingers trail across his shoulder in a soothing manner and smiled softly at him. "You want to change your life, right? You won't get very far clinging to the past." She walked to the door of her office and motioned for him to follow. "Come, you need to meet the Headmistress. And don't worry, I won't tell anyone you were in the military. That's what you meant by a new life, right?"

Heero nodded numbly and got up to follow. Sylvia Noventa was greatly unlike anything he had ever expected. He thought that maybe, just maybe he could learn a lot from her.

"This is the Headmistresses office," Sylvia said, stopping in front of two large, oak doors. "Wait here while I announce your arrival." She raised her hand to knock but hesitated for just a moment to say, "You may find your past is connected here in more ways than one, Heero. Everyone has something in their past they'd like to change. During your stay here at ESUNU, you'd do well to remember that." Her hand fell heavily against the door.

Heero wondered what exactly she meant as she slipped through one of the doors, leaving little chance for him to see inside. She was gone for only a moment, and when she returned, she closed the door behind her. "The Headmistress will see you now. I look forward to seeing you at the ceremony on Monday." She gave him a meaningful look before she started to walk away. "If you have any problems with your schedule – or any problems at all – come and see me, okay?"

"I will," he replied, and he pulled open the large oak door and stepped inside.

The room was lavish with its decoration, but with things like oak bookshelves packed with educational books, the tops of which were lined with old school photos, and awards and recognition covered the walls. It didn't look nearly as cluttered as Sylvia's office, and though there was a vast array of things covering the room, everything looked neat and professional. On the back wall, in front of a large bay window, was a long cherry wood desk covered only with a computer, a phone, and a mail bin filled with paperwork. Two chairs that looked just short of being recliners sat in front of the desk. Heero was aware of his surroundings, as he quickly took them in the moment he'd entered, but none of these features caught his attention.

The woman sitting in the enormous swivel chair, however, did.

"Colonel Une."

The Headmistress removed her reading glasses, a much slimmer version than the large round ones she had worn during the war, and put them to the side. Her brown hair fell around her shoulders, and after a few clocks of her mouse, she turned her brown eyes to meet his for the first time in over two years. "Heero. It's been quite some time, hasn't it?"

He considered saying something not quite polite to her, but Sylvia's words were still fresh in his mind, and instead he replied with, "Yes, it has."

"Let me just start by saying I don't expect you to accept who I am now after our history together. However, that does not change the fact that I am the headmistress of ESUNU, and that isn't likely to change anytime soon." He nodded. "We all fought for what we believed in, and the end result was peace. Though we were on opposite sides, I truly believe this is the end result we all hoped for. I hope that my presence here will not take from your success here at ESUNU."

Heero had never had a chance to speak with Une outside of battle, and he found that her demeanor was nothing like he had expected. It was almost as if she were an entirely different person than she was during the war, and perhaps she was. Hearing again the words of Sylvia in his mind, he said, "I do not wish to bring my past with me."

"I can understand that. Everyone is running from something. It would be unfair of me to not allow you this chance to start over. After all, it is a chance that I also took." Her gaze turned meaningful, and Heero felt uncomfortable under the weight of her gaze. "Just remember, no one can run forever. You may find yourself running into that which you are trying to escape."

Heero had no idea what to make of that, other than comparing it to the words he had heard just moments ago, and so he said nothing.

"I hope that you find what you're searching for, Heero Yuy. I'll see you at the ceremony. You can go now."

With a short nod, he turned on his heel and walked out. Perhaps it was just his imagination, but he could have sword he felt the weight of Une's gaze through the door and down the hallway.

He couldn't get out of the building fast enough.


	3. Chapter 2

Title: Xenophobic – Chapter 2

Author: hostilecrayon

Pairing: 12, 34

Rating: PG (For now)

Warnings: Angst, romance, AU with some Canon parallels

Disclaimer: Don't own it, sadly. Gundam Wing is owned by Hajime Yatate and Yoshiyuki Tomino.

Notes: You're probably wondering why it took me so long to write the second chapter. Well, I had half of it written, and my computer crashed. I was so mad that I couldn't bring myself to write it again for quite some time. But now I'm back, and my love for this story is as strong as ever, so… here it goes. This is dedicated to AJU Scenes for the wonderful writing they've continuously delivered.

**Xenophobic – Chapter 2**

Duo stared at the innocently blinking cursor with distain. He just couldn't seem to get this part right. He'd been working on his Thesis since freshman year, and now that he had to incorporate it into his senior project, he couldn't stop picking at it. No matter how he tried, he just couldn't shake that incessant voice in the back of his head that said he was missing something big. He scowled at the cursor as if it was all its fault.

He sighed, leaning back in his plush computer chair.

"Senior blues?" He didn't bother to turn around to see the smirk on Hilde's face, but he knew it was there anyway and he matched it with one of his own.

"You wish, Hil. If you remember correctly, I work on things early so I don't get stuck with the last minute chaos, like some people I know. Incidentally, how's your term paper coming?" He turned around in his chair, grinning maliciously. He knew as well as she did that she hadn't touched it yet.

She had the good graces to pink slightly, but she waved off his comment good-naturedly. "Oh, you know, it's coming along. Not everyone has homework OCD." She winked and Duo laughed.

"You're just jealous that I'm the favorite of the department director. If you worked a little harder, you might know what that feels like."

"Ouch, Duo. But you know, since I'm not in high school, I don't worry too much about being the teacher's pet."

"Touché. Did you just come here to tease me, or does this visit have a purpose?"

Hilde rolled her eyes. "It's time for the Freshman Orientation, or did you forget? Too wrapped up in your homework obsession to remember the little things?"

"Shit, already?"

"I thought so." She crossed her arms and leaned against the door frame. "Feeling chivalrous?"

Duo cocked his head to the side. "What did you have in mind? If you want help with your Freshman assignment, forget it."

Hilde made a face of mock indignation. "Why, I'd never ask someone as busy as you to help a poor girl out. I was just wondering if you'd escort a lady to the event."

"Well, I'd love to, Hil, but…" Duo made a show of looking around, "Where is she?"

Hilde took a few steps towards him and smacked him lightly on the arm. "You coming, or what?"

He chuckled. "Yeah yeah, just let me save this and we can go."

"It's good for you, you know. I wouldn't want you to become a shriveled up old hermit."

He shook his head, but mirth played at his lips. He hit the save button and grabbed his jacket. He'd just have to have another go at the elusive something later.

--

Sylvia wasn't joking when she said there would be plenty of signs pointing him in the right direction. Even without the huge "East Ballroom: This Way" signs everywhere, he could have just followed the students heading there en masse.

It took a while to get everyone shuffled around to their proper places, and Heero was unfortunately seated in a folding chair in the center of the room much too close to a disinterested boy playing games on his cell phone and an obviously rich young girl filing her already perfectly rounded fingernails. He sat quietly, disgruntled by the whole affair of orientation. He was smart enough to figure things out for himself, and if it wasn't required, he wouldn't have come at all. He could think of at least ten things that would be more interesting than this. High on that list was sleeping.

During the lull between organizing the seating and the start of the ceremony, he took the time to observe his surroundings. The Freshmen, including himself, were seated front and center. The other three classes were sitting on both sides of the room, conveniently seated to get a good look at their new classmates; but most of them were just chatting with the occasional few sizing up the newcomers. There were a few people who stood out, like the girl with the hot pink stripes in her hair and the – was that a guy? – with a braid that went past his waist, but most of them just blended in to the crowd. Though he didn't see anyone he could recognize, it didn't ease his mind much. He couldn't see the faces of over half the crowd, after all. From what he could see, he probably wouldn't fit in here, but it was well enough. He didn't need the distraction, anyway.

After what felt like an eternity, the Headmistress stepped up on the makeshift stage and motioned for quiet. "On behalf of the faculty and the current students of the Earth Sphere Unified Nations University, I welcome you to one of the finest schools in the Earth Sphere. Here at ESUNU, you will have opportunities coveted by many. Here, we do not care about where you have come from. Whether you were valedictorian or class clown, wealthy or stricken with poverty, a pacifist or a warmonger, that is not who you are here." Une's eyes grazed the crowd, and Heero could have sworn her eyes lingered on him for the briefest of moments. "USUNU symbolizes change; a change from what you used to be, and what you are now into what you will become. I implore you to use your time here to free yourself from the chains of the past and to move forward towards your future. At ESUNU, we want to help you become the person you want to be."

It was difficult for Heero to hear these words from the woman he knew as Colonel Une, and harder still to apply these same concepts to someone who, for five years, he considered a top priority to kill, but the thought held some merit, and tuning out the introductions and pleasantries being made on the stage to try.

If he was going to let go of the past, he knew it was something he would have to do.

--

Duo stretched languidly in his uncomfortable plastic chair and made a show of yawning. "Man, it's the same thing every year. Isn't it bad enough I had to endure this the first time? Do they have to make me sit through it eight freaking times?"

Trowa smiled indulgently. "It's a couple of hours every six months. You'll live, I'm sure. But just in case, first aid isn't far from here."

"Thank you, Trowa. Your concern is deeply touching," Duo proclaimed in mock seriousness.

"Stop goofing around, Maxwell. Some of us are trying to intimidate the kids." Zechs' eyes scrutinized what he could see of the crowd in front of him. "I hope I get someone with a little culture this semester. The Fall orientation was insufferable."

"Why, Milliardo, I didn't know you had kids. Why didn't you tell us?"

Noin shook her head, while Zechs ignored him entirely. "Give it a rest, Duo."

Quatre and Trowa exchanged a look that clearly said 'he'll never change'. Wufei tried to display his annoyance, but his mirth was hard to contain and came out as a tiny twitch at the corner of his mouth.

"That's odd. I don't see Professor Kushrenada." Relena scanned the faculty and confirmed her assessment that the well known Political Science Professor was indeed missing.

"Good. I hope he got fired." Duo grumbled, slumping a little in his chair.

"Oh, hush, Duo. He was here this morning. How odd for him to miss Orientation."

"Maybe he got hit by a truck."

Too diplomatic to hit Duo for his crass comments, she looked to Hilde to do it for her. "Give it a rest, won't you?"

The announcement came for the upperclassmen to gather for the Freshmen assignments, and Duo took this opportunity to change the subject. "Okay, all you suckers stuck with babysitting duty, here's your call." He grinned at Quatre. "You wanna get a bite to eat? We should celebrate our lack of children to tote around."

Quatre grinned apologetically. "Sorry, Duo. I'd love to, but I promised my Dad I'd observe the interviews that are going on tonight. It's a very important part of running the business."

"Work again? You're always so busy," Duo complained for the hundredth time.

Quatre ducked his head in embarrassment. "Sorry," he said again.

"Don't worry about it," Trowa said softly, "Duo will just have to celebrate alone. I think it's honorable that you do so much to help your father."

Quatre pinked slightly. "Thanks," he squeaked. "See you guys tomorrow?"

A wave of affirmations later and he was gone.

"Well, have fun, guys. I'm going to go do something worth my time." Duo winked. "Bring yours around tomorrow, Trowa. I'm curious to see if they're as skittish as last year."

"Sure."

"Cool. I'm outta here." Duo slinked through the crowd to the exit while the rest of them made their way to the front, most of them wishing they could be anywhere but where they were at that exact moment.

--

Heero had similar thoughts as the reluctant upperclassmen waiting for their name to be called and the assignments to be given out. It was much too chaotic for him to get much of a look at the waiting Juniors and Seniors to make any kind of accurate assessment of them, and it irritated him. Names were being called, and people were scrambling to be matched up.

After what felt like an eternity, he was called, and he approached the stage with little veiled annoyance. He was asked to confirm his name was Heero Yuy, and a schedule was thrust into his hands before being pointed towards another member of the faculty. He was asked for yet another confirmation of his name before he was introduced to someone named Trowa Barton.

Trowa didn't appear to be much older than Heero, if at all. He was tall and thin, and unlike most of the other students, he wasn't dressed in the latest fashions and accessories. Some would even say he was rather plain aside from the long auburn bang hanging almost completely over one of his sharp green eyes. His pale green turtleneck, faded blue jeans and black and white converse created a casual air about him, and Heero felt a little relieved.

It was ridiculously loud in the room now, and Trowa nodded his head to the side and said simply, "Would you like to go somewhere a little quieter?"

Heero nodded gratefully and followed the taller man outside and into an area that was much less populated. "Thanks."

"No problem. I'm not one for large crowds." Something about Trowa's voice sounded vaguely familiar, but Heero couldn't place it. "So you're Heero Yuy? I'm Trowa Barton." Trowa's eyes were calculating, but they gave away nothing malicious, so Heero took it as part of his personality.

"Pleasure to meet you. You sound familiar. Have we met before?"

"I don't believe we've ever been in each other's presence before, no." Heero would think about what that meant later.

"Strange. So, how does this work, exactly?"

Trowa's eyes softened a little then. "This is the part where you ask questions, I believe."

Heero smiled. "I'm not one for questions. I like to figure things out for myself."

"Well, that makes my job easy. What's your major?"

"English. Yours?"

"Music."

"What instrument?"

"Flute."

"Interesting."

"I'm supposed to show you around tomorrow. Is eleven o'clock good for you?"

"Whatever is more convenient for you."

"Eleven it is, then. It was a pleasure meeting you, Heero."

"You as well, Trowa."

They shook hands and parted without any sort of awkwardness. The entire exchange was pleasant, but very straightforward and to the point. If there were any other people like Trowa at this school, he thought he might just fit in here after all.

Maybe a little distraction wouldn't be too bad. It would certainly be a change.

--

Duo poked and prodded at his senior project to no avail. He had nearly six months to finish it, but that didn't stop it from bothering him. He shut the computer down and pulled out a book instead.

His roommate donned his jacket and straightened out the collar and Duo looked up at him. "Going to pick up your kid?"

Trowa raised an eyebrow. "He's not so bad, actually. Want to come?"

"Nah. I have better things to do, like ignore my senior project." Duo raised his book as evidence.

Trowa shrugged. "Your loss."

Just as Trowa was walking out the door, Duo called out, "Bring him by though, will you Tro'?"

He waved a hand in agreement and disappeared.

Duo spent the next few hours engrossed in Beyond Good and Evil and didn't even notice Trowa until he subtly cleared his throat. He looked up and couldn't help the look of appreciation on his face when he spotted his roommate's companion.

Around Duo's height, Asian decent with deep blue eyes that spoke of some kind of Caucasian mixture, he was a fine sight indeed. His hair was thick, dark and messy, and his clothing was simple, yet tasteful.

Duo raised a hand in greeting. "You must drink a lot of milk."

When Heero just looked confused, Trowa chuckled. "Don't mind Duo. He has his own special breed of humor."

Heero raised a single eyebrow. "Milk?"

"It's a commercial. 'Milk does a body good'," Trowa offered in way of explanation.

"Ah, that explains it. I don't watch much T.V. My apartment on L1 didn't even have cable."

Duo tilted his head to the side. "Colony brat?"

"Most of my life, yes."

"I'm L2 and Tro's L3. Now we just need Quat and 'Fei and we'll have the full set." He grinned.

"There are a lot of people from the colonies here," Trowa commented. "Actually, there are people from just about every corner of the Earth Sphere."

"So, do you have a name, or should I just call you L1?"

Heero shook his head with a rueful smile. "I'd prefer you didn't. I'm Heero. Heero Yuy."

Duo stuck out his hand. "Duo Maxwell, star senior of the Psychology Department." Trowa rolled his eyes, and Heero took the offered hand and shook it firmly. "Nice grip, 'Ro."

Heero smirked. "'Ro?"

"Duo has a thing for nicknames."

Heero put on a show of thinking about that before saying at length, "I guess I could live with that."

"Good, because you wouldn't last long in this group if you couldn't."

Heero raised an eyebrow at Duo. "You're already initiating me into your group, are you?"

"I don't see why not. We haven't had a Freshman since Quatre became a Sophomore this semester. We need some fresh meat." Duo bared his teeth a little at that, and Heero just laughed.

"Why, Mr. Maxwell, are you hitting on me?"

Duo shrugged. "Probably not. Unless you'd like me to, that is."

Trowa shot Duo a look. "Already terrorizing the Freshmen, are we?"

Duo chuckled. "Someone has to do it. It's part of the fun, after all." Duo turned to look at Heero again. "So… what classes are you taking?"

"Mostly introductory classes. English, Political Science, Economics and Psychology."

Duo dismissed all but the last class. "Which Psych class?"

"Intro."

"With Po?" Heero nodded. "At eleven?" Heero nodded again. "I'm the TA for that class. Looks like we'll be seeing each other again soon. Unless of course, you'd rather not."

Heero grinned. "I'll be there with bells on."

Duo laughed. "I'll look forward to that, then."

Trowa shook his head at his roommates' antics. "I still have to finish showing him around, you know. We should get going."

Duo looked at his book and back at the pair. "Well, I'm not really doing anything right now. Care for some company?"

Trowa looked to Heero for confirmation that it was okay. Heero just smiled. "I'd love some."

--

The campus was huge. It wasn't until five that they stopped for something to eat. Duo suggested a little place just a block from campus, and a five minute walk and several phone calls later, they'd comprised a party of seven; the others being too busy to make it.

Heero was introduced to Quatre, Wufei, Hilde and Relena and they sat down to eat at the little bakery.

"Try the Overstuffed Bread, Heero. It's amazing," Hilde said, making a show of not even opening her menu. Heero scanned his and read the description. It sounded alright, so he took her suggestion.

"So, Duo tells us you're a Freshman," Quatre said cheerfully. "What made you choose ESUNU?"

"A lot of things, really. The fact that it's located on Earth was a big one." There was a murmuring of agreement from everyone at the table except Relena, and Heero was surprised. "How many of you are from the colonies?"

Duo spoke up. "All of us except for the Queen here." He pointed at Relena.

She shook her head. "Duo," she said in warning.

Realization dawned on Heero. "You're Relena Darlian, aren't you? You were highly involved with the pacifist movement during the war. Your drive is admirable."

"Thank you," she replied, at a loss for what else to say.

The waitress came then, and she smiled at her regulars. "I see you have a new addition to your group."

"Yep," Duo replied. "He's our new freshman."

She laughed animatedly. "Don't be too hard on him now, Duo."

He winked saucily. "I'll do my best, Jill."

"You do that. Orders, everyone?" She took their orders with more than a few amiable comments and headed for the back with a promise to be quick.

"So Heero, any chance you're an Engineering Major?"

"Sorry Hilde. English. But then, I know my way around machines well enough that Engineering would be a bit of a pointless major for me."

"Oh really? You have a thing for machines or something?"

"You could say that," he replied evasively.

Quatre, ever the perceptive one, noticed the hesitance on Heero's part and smoothly intervened. "Okay, enough with the twenty questions, guys. Give the poor man a moment to breathe. I think Wufei is the only one who hasn't pestered him yet." Quatre chuckled, but the meaningful glance he aimed at Heero had him silently thanking the kind blonde. Trowa and Wufei just sat back and observed it all.

"So Quat, how did you manage to make it here? You almost never get away from the business."

As the topic steered away from Heero and onto more general things, he was grateful. They seemed like good people, but he wasn't sure how much of himself he wanted to reveal just yet. He enjoyed the rest of the evening, and at the end of it all, numbers were exchanged with a promise to call the next time they get together. Heero gave a positive but non-committal answer, and they parted ways.

He'd been on Earth for less than a week, and already he seemed to have made some friends. He smiled to himself as he slipped the keycard in the hotel room door. It was definitely a change for the better. He was looking forward to seeing how things developed.

--

The next few weeks went by fairly quickly for Heero. He generally got together with at least Duo and Trowa once a week, and it was sometimes smattered with other new faces, as well. Other than that, he spent most of his time looking for a job and an apartment, determined to find both before Christmas. He met his goal, finding an apartment just down the street from the school and getting a part time job at a local bookstore.

He dipped pretty heavily into his savings to have his things shipped to him from L1, but at least in meant he didn't have to go back there. If he never set foot on L1 again, he thought it would be too soon. His apartment was small, but it suited his needs, and even without the part time job, he had enough in his savings left over to pay for a full year in advance, so it was economically smart, as well.

He was invited to Quatre's Christmas party, but it felt too much like intruding, so he declined. He received several calls on Christmas Eve from his new friends and a few more requests for him to join them, but he was firm in his denial.

He didn't receive any calls from anyone else, nor did he expect any. He had no one to call, and he spent his Christmas arranging his apartment and preparing for his classes.

Part of him wished he'd accepted the multitude of invitations to Quatre's, but he firmly ignored it and reorganized his books before sitting down to a TV dinner and his Psychology book.

He told himself it was better this way.


	4. Chapter 3

Title: Xenophobic – Chapter 3

Author: hostilecrayon

Pairing: 12, 34

Rating: PG (For now)

Warnings: Angst, romance, AU with some Canon parallels

Disclaimer: Don't own it, sadly. Gundam Wing is owned by Hajime Yatate and Yoshiyuki Tomino.

Notes: Finally, Heero actually gets to attend some classes! BTW, statistics really do show that students who sit up front get better grades. Guess where I sit in all my classes. . This is dedicated to AJU Scenes for the wonderful writing they've continuously delivered.

**Xenophobic – Chapter 3**

Always one for punctuality, Heero showed up to class ten minutes early and was rewarded with a good seat up front on the left side of the classroom. He liked sitting up front, but he preferred to not be sandwiched between two other people. A corner seat was perfect for his tastes. Statistics consistently show that students who sit up front get better grades, after all.

Heero set down his books and pulled some paper and a brand new pen. He marked the paper experimentally to make sure it was working properly and put his class and date in the upper right corner. He glanced around for Duo, but he didn't seem to be there yet, so he opened his Psychology book to review chapter 1 again in preparation for the lecture.

It was a strange feeling for Heero to be sitting in a classroom. He'd had schooling before, but it had hardly been traditional. His adopted father, Odin, had insisted he learn his craft from a young age, and most of his schooling had been at home. He was vaguely familiar with the classroom setting, but the lessons he was learning from Odin were nothing like what he'd be learning now. His transcripts and test scores were fraudulent, though it wasn't because he didn't know the information. Though he was being taught how to be a special ops agent, Odin had still insisted on him knowing everything he would have learned in school in even greater depth than the students actually attending school.

Even if Odin was training him to be the killer that got him into the war in the first place, he always held some sentimental hope that Heero would someday be able to go to college like a normal kid. The war just took precedence to him.

If Odin were alive today, Heero mused that he'd probably be proud of him. He wasn't sure what to think about that.

"A studious one, eh 'Ro?" Heero looked up to see Duo leaning over his desk. "That's an admirable quality in a man. And punctual, too. I'm afraid I can't lay claim to that second one." Duo grinned sheepishly, and out of the corner of his eye, Heero could see that it was only a minute before class was scheduled to start.

He smirked. "I don't like to disappoint." He lifted his left arm, the sleeve of his sweatshirt sliding down a little to reveal a silver bracelet that jingled when he shook it.

Duo laughed heartily. "Why Heero, are those bells?"

"I told you I'd be here with bells on."

"You're really something, you know that? Where did you get that, anyway?"

"I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you," Heero said in mock seriousness.

"Alright, settle down everyone." Professor Po smiled at her students kindly, and Heero could see that she was probably even younger than him.

"Uh-oh, that's my cue." Duo winked and took his place at a desk in front of the class to sit in for the lecture.

Aside from the various faces Duo made at him during the class, there wasn't much to the lecture. An

hours' worth of notes and a few suppressed chuckles later, Duo was sliding up next to him outside the classroom door.

"So what does a T.A. do, exactly? I always thought it stood for Teacher's Assistant, but I could be wrong. You seemed to spend your time trying to distract me."

"Well, there haven't been any assignments yet, so there's nothing for me to assist. Since I've heard all these lectures before, that means I have plenty of time to distract you." He wiggled his eyebrow suggestively at Heero. "Besides, you should be honored to be my source of entertainment."

"Is that so?"

"Definitely! Some people would kill to be you."

"I somehow doubt that," Heero muttered, and Duo eyed him curiously.

"Lunch?" Duo asked tentatively, noting the sudden tension in the air.

Heero shook his head a little to clear his mind and said with a forced smile, "Sounds great."

--

Trowa stretched his legs as much as he could in the uncomfortable chair. He didn't mind being at Kelby's, especially considering the company, but he couldn't help but think they could afford some better seating.

The crowd was thinner than it had been last semester due to some scheduling conflicts, but the core group was still there. Hilde and Duo were arguing over something mechanical with the new addition, Heero, observing patiently; Relena had engaged Wufei in a conversation about what the Earth Sphere Unified Nations were doing about the current terrorist threats from the smaller outlying colonies; and Quatre was sitting beside him, nursing a cherry coke and worrying over his father's business. Trowa could tell because his brows were knit together in an almost comical way.

When Trowa stood up to leave, he was bemused to see Quatre do the same.

"Would you mind a little company on your walk?"

Trowa smiled. With as confident as Quatre could be when discussing business and political, he could be astonishingly shy. "I'd love some."

They walked in silence for a while, the sunny blonde uncharacteristically quiet. When they reached the music department, Trowa spoke up. "Well, here's my stop."

Quatre fidgeted a little and uttered, "Mine too, actually."

Trowa blinked in surprise. "You're joining the Music Club?"

His smile was sheepish. "I'm no Vivaldi, but I can play a few notes."

"Violinist? Where's your instrument?" He motioned to the case in his hand that held his flute securely in place.

Quatre shrugged. "I dropped it off earlier. I have three classes before this one."

"Well, after you." Trowa pulled the door open for him and followed him inside.

After signing in, there was a small introduction speech from Instructor Frank Silva, the advisor and Music Department Director. Not for the first time, Trowa found himself amused by the large Instructor's odd looks. His prosthetic nose and his spiky hair made him an odd choice for director of the Music Department, but despite this, he had an excellent ear and was a caring Instructor. As he reiterated in his introductory speech, he preferred to just be called S.

Once everyone was brought up to speed, he asked the students to form pairs and give a sample of their musical talents. Trowa just tilted his head in question and Quatre smiled. They listened to a few pieces from their fellow students, and Trowa easily picked out the couple of students who would be picked for the final concert at the end of the semester.

When their turn came, they stood and made their way to the front. Most of the students knew who Trowa was from either their classes together or the performances he'd already done, but people were looking at the newcomer. It was obvious no one had seen him before, and as they took the stage, curious eyes were locked on Quatre, trying to determine whether he was a threat to their spot in the end of the year performance.

Trowa wasn't sure how skilled Quatre was, but he knew he wouldn't take time out of his busy schedule for something he was merely curious about. Doing a little sizing up of his own, he motioned for Quatre to start.

From the moment Quatre set his bow to the strings, Trowa was entranced. It wasn't a melody that he recognized, but it was powerful. It held more than a hint of melancholy, but somehow, it was still uplifting, and it was almost a full minute before Trowa felt he could join in with confidence.

The notes weren't foreign to him, but stringing them together this way was nothing short of divine. Quatre didn't steal all of the glory; far from it. Instead, it was a gentle push and pull, like the moon gently moving the tides in the right direction.

It was nearly ten minutes before their solo came to an end, but the sound lingered in the awestruck faces of those listening. Quatre blushed appreciatively at the zealous applause.

S whistled loudly. "Where have you been hiding, kid?"

Quatre ducked his head. "In the Business Department."

"Business! That's no place for talent like yours! H must be offering some extra incentive this year."

"No sir." Quatre's blush deepened.

"You have real talent. You could really go far." S gave him a serious look, but Quatre just took his seat.

A few lackluster performances later, the group broke for the day, and Trowa couldn't help but ask. "Why aren't you a Music major?"

His look turned pensive. "Business will help me take over for my father."

"I understand that, but couldn't you double major?"

Quatre frowned, shaking his head. "I don't have time for that, Trowa."

He wanted to say more, but it was clear Quatre was firm on this, so instead he offered, "Anytime you're looking for a duet partner, you know where to find me."

Appreciation spread over the young blonde's features. "Thanks, Trowa. I'll keep that in mind."

A smile played at Trowa's lips. "I hope you do."

--

Heero spread his books across the floor to get a better viewpoint. If he learned anything from the war, it was everything was more efficient when you had a plan. He had already covered the first three chapters on his own in Psychology – a topic more fascinating than he would have thought – and he pushed the book to the left. He already had his assignment for his literature class, and though he was ahead, he didn't think it would hurt to get a little more of a jump start. That book, he pushed to the right. He was about to judge the merits of working ahead in Political Science before his class the following day when his doorbell rang. He grumbled a little and pushed himself up off the floor to see who it was.

"Delivery!" Duo Maxwell stood outside his door dressed entirely in black, complete with a black baseball cap. He held the case of bottleneck beers up and shook it lightly in explanation.

Heero rolled his eyes and stepped back to let him in. "You know, when I gave you my address, it was with emergencies in mind."

"This IS an emergency. Look at you!" Duo pointed in mock horror. "It's the first day of school and you're all by yourself." He looked to the books scattered across the floor. "My god, don't tell me – are you studying? On the first day of classes? This is worse than I thought." He made a show of feeling Heero's head for a fever. "It can't be. I'm afraid you have the worst case of Homeworkitsis I've ever seen."

Heero smirked indulgently. "I hear you have one hell of a case of Homework OCD yourself, Mr. Maxwell."

Duo grinned sheepishly. "Been talking to Hilde, eh?"

"Yep." He took the offered beer and cracked the top off with his teeth.

"Whoa, nice trick. Where'd you learn that?"

Heero's thoughts turned to a fellow officer from the war, and he tried not to let it show in his expression. "An old friend taught it to me."

"Huh." Duo was obviously not satisfied, but he let it go, opening his beer with the bottle opener on his keychain. He took this lull in the conversation as an opportunity to look around. "Holy shit! I thought you were joking! You really don't own a TV."

"Nope."

"So… what do you do for fun around here?"

Heero gestured to his bookshelf and Duo took it as an invitation to investigate. He grew more and more impressed by the selection as he made his way through the wide variety of topics. "God, you've got everything from Chaucer to Tolkien." He cocked his head to the side. "Is that Rowling I see?"

"What's wrong with Harry Potter?" Heero asked, partly in defense and partly in amusement.

"Nothing. I just never saw you as a wizards kind of guy."

"There are wizards in Tolkien."

"My point stands." He picked over the next shelf. "Beyond Good and Evil. I've been reading that, myself."

"It's excellent, isn't it?"

Duo turned towards Heero, taking a long swing from his beer. "More than just excellent. Nietzsche really has the world pegged."

"Hmm, I wouldn't go that far. He's just a touch too skeptical for my taste." Heero took a moment to eye his textbooks before picking them up and putting them aside for the moment. He figured he was far enough for now. He'd spend a little time after work on Saturday working on it further.

"An optimist, too? You're just full of surprises."

"I try."

Duo eyed the titles Heero was stacking neatly on his side table, and one in particular caught his interest. "Who do you have Political Science with?"

"Slate," Heero said in passing. It wasn't important to him who his teachers were, just what was required of him to pass.

Duo frowned. "Oh, they didn't tell you?"

A confused "Huh?" was all Heero could think to say.

"Professor Slate passed away a few weeks ago. The Director of the department is taking over his classes for the semester."

Heero quirked an eyebrow in askance. "And that would be?"

Duo pressed his lips together in a firm line as if he were about to say something particularly nasty. "Treize Khushrenada."

It was particularly difficult for Heero to school his features at the mention of Treize, and he managed it through sheer will alone. "Khushrenada? He was one of the commanding officers of OZ, wasn't he?"

Duo scowled. "He was their fucking ringleader. To put a cherry on top of this fucked up sundae, the Headmistress was like his mascot or something. They're bastards, all of them. Hilde almost joined the war effort, you know. She went through training and everything. She changed her mind though and got out of it somehow. It's a good thing, too. I don't think I could have forgiven her for it."

Heero kept his face appropriately horrified. "Which side?"

"I don't know, and I don't care. In war, there aren't good guys and bad guys. There are the winners, the losers, and the innocent people who died for their fucked up notions of justice. I hate them all." Duo growled. "Let's talk about something else, 'Ro. I don't talk about the war for a reason."

Heero obliged, and they turned to milder topics, but Heero couldn't help the stab wound Duo's words had left. He wanted to leave his war past behind him, but could he really hide it from his new friends?

For the first time since he'd met his new friends, he wondered if it would be wise not to keep a safe distance from them.

--

"Heero Yuy? Are you talking about who I think you're talking about?"

"Codename Zero, yes."

"You're sure?"

"Positive. He was in my office last semester."

"Does he know?"

"That you're teaching his class? I don't think so. I went through a lot of trouble to make sure he was put in Slate's class."

"Well, this should prove to be a very interesting semester indeed."

Une leveled a stern gaze at him. "Treize."

"Don't worry. I won't reveal his identity." He laughed. "I can't promise he won't try to get out of the class, though."

"There aren't any open classes that you aren't teaching, and it's a freshmen requirement. You know that as well as I do."

"I know. That's why I said it'll be an interesting semester."

Headmistress Une sighed. "He's made friends with Heavyarms."

Treize quirked an interested eyebrow. "Oh?"

"From what I can tell, Zero doesn't recognize him. I could do some reconnaissance if you want."

"Please, Une," he admonished, "the war is over. Call it 'research'."

"Very well. Research, then."

"It might be a good idea to keep an eye on him. Once he realizes just how many ex-OZ soldiers he's surrounded by, there's no telling what he might do. Our identities are already compromised, but some of us, including Heavyarms, though he wasn't one of ours, haven't been. We need to make sure it stays that way."

Une let out a slow breath. "Yes, I suppose it's for the best."

Treize turned to leave. "Let's help keep the peace we fought so hard for by letting those who wish to let go of their pasts do so."

Though she was a higher rank than Treize now, she couldn't help the crisp "Yes sir!"

--

Narrowed eyes glared around the room until Heero was certain Treize hadn't arrived yet. He took his customary left corner seat and waited, his eyes trained on the only entrance.

It was a full five minutes before he made his appearance, and green eyes immediately locked with his blue ones as he strode into the room with all of the confidence he had in the war and then some. Then, to Heero's indignation, he smiled and nodded to him before turning away to address the class as a whole.

"Welcome to Introduction to Political Science. I know some of you were expecting Professor Slate, but unfortunately, he passed away a few weeks ago. In light of this tragedy, I have opted to take all of his classes this semester. I am Professor Treize Khushrenada, and I am the head of the Political Science department. Those of you who have an undeclared major, if you like what you learn from me, drop by my office. We could always use more people interested in politics." Treize smiled, and Heero couldn't help but think it was as oily as he was.

Une he could handle. He didn't have to see her everyday or even every week, but Treize Khushrenada was not something he was prepared to handle. If Une was high on his 'to kill' list, the man currently working his charisma on a classroom full of unsuspecting freshmen was at the top. This man was the reason there was a war at all, and he didn't think forgive and forget applied to such a person.

Heero couldn't help it. He raised his hand.

"And you are?"

"Heero Yuy, _Professor."_ The loathing dripped heavily from those last three syllables, but Treize just kept right on smiling, and it only infuriated Heero more.

"Could you tell us a little about your credentials?"

"Certainly… Heero, was it?" Heero merely glared. "I attended a prestigious college on L4, Providence Colony University, and once I received my degree from there, I pursued my graduate education at an off colony school, an off-shoot of the Oxford International campuses. From there, I did an internship at…"

"Excuse me," Heero interrupted. "You may have misunderstood my question. I meant what are your credentials as far as involvement with Political Science goes.

"Ah, so that's what you were trying to get at. Well, as some of you know, I've had a very high involvement with politics over the last several years, and I was directly involved with the peace treaties that got us to where we are today."

"By directly involved, did you perchance mean that you were the very reason they were necessary?"

"Now now, Heero," he chastised, "no one person was responsible. If Political Science teaches us anything, it's that wars happen for a reason, and that it takes more than one person to cause such drastic events."

"Events like the complete destruction of colony X199?"

"Things happen for a reason, Heero."

Heero practically leapt out of his seat. "What could possibly be the reason for the deaths of thousands of helpless colony people?"

Treize smirked, but it looked more like a sneer to Heero. "I realize that this is a very high emotion class, but we have to remember that these things have come and gone. The war is over, Heero. You'd do well to remember that, unless you want to get a _Zero_ in my course, that is."

Heero sputtered before sitting back in his chair. So Treize was going to play dirty. As much as he wanted to make him own up to his misdeeds one by one, he couldn't risk having his identity revealed. Anyone with basic Colony History knew the codename Zero. It was all they knew, but it was enough. One slip from Treize and the news would spread like wildfire.

He sat through the rest of the lecture in silence, practically running out of the classroom when it was over.

He had to find a way out of this class. Both for his anonymity and his sanity.

--

"Heavyarms."

Trowa stood impassively in front of the impressive desk. "Don't call me that."

"I understand you have been able to keep your identity a secret from your classmates. I'm more than willing to respect that."

Trowa leveled an impatient stare at the Headmistress. "Then why am I here?"

"It has come to my attention that there is someone who could threaten that."

"Zero." It was not a question.

"Precisely. I had little doubt you'd recognize him. Has he discovered your identity?"

"Not yet. It's only a matter of time, though. He recognizes my voice."

"You understand that this could cause a problem with more than just you, then."

Trowa frowned. "What exactly do you want me to do about it?"

"Just keep an eye on him. As the Headmistress of this school, it is my job to keep the peace."

Trowa raised an eyebrow at that, but said nothing.

"Will you do it?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Unfortunately, no." Trowa turned to leave. "I expect a full report by Friday, and each Friday following that."

Trowa grunted and opened the door.

"If he reveals anyone, the consequences will be more than any of us can hope to control. You understand. You've experienced it firsthand, after all."

He left the office without a word.


	5. Chapter 4

Title: Xenophobic – Chapter 4

Author: hostilecrayon

Pairing: 1=2, 3=4, 5=R, 6=9

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: Angst, romance, nakedness, AU with some Canon parallels

Disclaimer: Don't own it, sadly. Gundam Wing is owned by Hajime Yatate and Yoshiyuki Tomino.

Notes: This is the first time I've really worked with this many characters at a time. I hope it works. This is dedicated to AJU Scenes for the wonderful writing they've continuously delivered.

**Xenophobic – Chapter 4**

Noin poured over her chemistry book, trying to absorb as much as was humanly possible as quickly as possible. She couldn't believe she already had a quiz coming up. It was the end of the first week, which only consisted of two school days. It was unbelievable that she had work for the weekend. It was an ominous start to a semester that proved to be hectic enough as it was.

"Miss Noin?" She looked up to see Alex, the freshman she'd toted around last semester peering through her door shyly.

"Please, just call me Noin." The boy shifted nervously, and Noin suppressed a sigh. He had taken a shine to her, and even more to Zechs, which was probably who he was looking for.

She decided to take a stab at it. "He's not here."

"Huh? Oh… Do you know where he is?"

"Where who is?"

"Oh! Mr. Merquise!"

Zechs smiled and looked back at Mueller. "Why can't you be as polite as him?"

"Because I'm not a kiss ass like he is."

Alex turned a few shades of red, and Zechs threw back his head and laughed.

Noin just shook her head in amusement. "What brings you my way, Zechs?"

"I was wondering if I could trouble you for a game of chess."

She looked at her book in dismay. "I'd love to, but I really should study…"

"Just one. It's only Saturday. You'll have tonight and tomorrow to slave away at it. You shouldn't overwork yourself."

She smiled induldgently. "Well, if it's only one…"

"Can we watch?" Alex queried.

"Don't you kids have other things you could attend to?"

His tone was light, but Alex hung his head as if Zechs had yelled at him. "Yes sir."

Mueller mouthed the words 'kiss ass' at him, and Alex scowled and pushed past him, Mueller trailing along behind at a leisurely pace.

Zechs moved into the room fully, closing the door behind him. "I think our freshmen like us a little too much."

"They're good kids, Zechs. They just want someone to look up to."

"You have to admit, though, it gets a little annoying at times."

"It can," she conceded. "But then, I remember a young girl who trailed her mentor into the war and all the way across the Earth Sphere to college."

Zechs smiled in remembrance. "You're a different girl now, Noin. A stronger one."

Noin set up the glass chess set, giving Zechs the white pieces. "Yes, I am." She stared contemplatively at the board, and for a little while, they made their moves in silence.

"But I'd still follow you straight into the heart of hell if only so you didn't have to go alone."

Zechs looked as if he had something to say, but after a long pause, he merely fingered his rook and slid it across the board.

Noin took the piece with her knight.

He still had to work things out for himself, but Noin refused to let herself be forgotten. She would just have to be patient.

---

Trowa leaned against the wall, his observant eyes taking in the multiple conversations going at once. Heero was currently engaged in two of them, swapping back and forth as the situation called for it.

It felt wrong to be watching him like this. He had never lost his observation skills, but when the war ended, he'd stopped using them to pry into other people's lives. He watched people for personal reasons, not to file reports and discuss his findings with others.

His scholarship was tentative, though, and Une was more than capable of revoking it. He had little doubt it would be if he were to refuse.

He noted that Noin and Zechs were both missing from the Monday lunch gathering, and he assumed their schedules must conflict. He was glad for that. Heero was bound to recognize one of them. He'd yet to meet them, and Trowa would have to do what he could to keep that from happening.

Quatre spotted him from his seat across the table from Duo, and their eyes locked for a moment before he continued sipping at his customary cherry coke.

His eyes drifted back towards Heero, who was heatedly arguing the merits of nuclear power as a safe and reliable source of energy with Hilde, who tended to have a bit of a green thumb which reared its head whenever the environment came up in conversation. Duo was watching with an amused expression, not getting involved for once. Relena would, at random intervals, interject with some political wisdom on the idea of alternative power, and Heero would be compelled to address her before continuing his argument with Hilde.

In his observing, he'd lost track of Quatre, so when the smaller blonde spoke up, it almost startled him. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Hmm?"

"You look upset."

Trowa hesitated before answering. "I'm just thinking."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Are you free tonight?"

Trowa blinked, losing track of the conversations he was watching. "Uh, yeah. After this, I don't really have any plans. What did you have in mind?"

"Well," Quatre scratched his head in thought, "I have a little bit of free time after this. I was wondering if you'd like to practice a little."

"I don't see why not."

Quatre beamed. "Meet me in the music room?"

"I'll be there."

"Great! What time?"

Trowa turned his attention back to the group, but it looked like they were about done.

He looked at Quatre, the corners of his mouth turning upwards. "How about now? I could use a little music to take my mind off of things."

Quatre smiled.

---

"Do the research, Hilde. It has been proven time and time again."

Hilde shook her head defiantly as she turned to head for the dorms.

Duo grinned and waved, and Heero huffed a little.

"You can't just shake off years of research because it doesn't agree with what you think is true."

Duo patted Heero on the back consolingly. "Give her a break. She's an environmentalist and an Engineering major. She's obviously full of contradictions."

Heero stopped at the path where they usually went their separate ways. "Hey Heero, you want to come back to my dorm room? I just got the new Grand Theft Auto game, and I've been dying to play it."

Heero shot him an incredulous look. "They still make those things?"

Yeah! They're tons of fun. I like to get my wanted rating to military status and then blow them all up."

Heero's pleasant mood faltered. "It's not really my thing."

"Oh," he replied dejectedly. "Well, if you'd rather not…"

Heero kicked himself mentally and tried again. "It's not that I don't want to hang out with you. I just don't think that game is for me."

Duo brightened a little. "Well, I have other games, too."

"Let's go then. You can show me your library. Err… and then tell me about them. I've never played any real video games before." Sure, he'd used tons of simulations before. They were mandatory for his training. Somehow though, he didn't think it was the same thing.

Duo just stopped and stared. "I can't believe it! You've never played a video game before? You're… you're… wait. How old are you?"

"25," Heero obliged.

"You're 25 years old!" Duo continued as if there had been no pause in his rant. "How is it even possible that you've never played a video game? Did you grow up in a box?"

Heero's look turned pensive. "You could say that. Odin wasn't one for normal forms of entertainment."

"What the hell did you guys do, then? Sit around a campfire and sing cumbaiya?" Duo threw his hands up in exasperation. "And who is this Odin character?"

Heero couldn't help but smirk at how flustered over this he was. "My legal guardian. I guess you could say my Dad."

"You know, my lack of knowledge about you is severely impeding my ability to rant properly at you."

"It's amusing."

"Amusing?!" The steam left Duo, and he crossed his arms, pouting. "You are seriously evil, 'Ro."

Heero smirked. "I try."

---

Their duet was once again, nearly flawless, and Trowa found it easy to get lost in the music they created together.

Quatre was extremely pleased with it, too, if his huge grin was any indication. "It feels so good to have a partner!" Quatre exclaimed when their piece came to a close. "The music has so much more depth to it."

Trowa couldn't agree more, but once the music was done, the thoughts found their way back into his mind, and his expression grew serious. "We've known each other for a year and a half, but we've never really had a chance to talk at length, have we?"

Quatre frowned. "No, not really. I wouldn't be adverse to it, though." He tried to look Trowa in the eyes, but the taller man was staring at his instrument. "Why, what's on your mind?"

"This may seem like a question straight from left field, but what do you think of the war?"

Quatre took a minute to think about his answer. No matter what angle he wanted to take, though, there seemed to be just too much explaining to give a concise response. "That's a complicated question, Trowa. What aspect of the war, exactly?"

He kept his eyes averted. "What do you think about the soldiers who fought in it?"

Quatre couldn't follow his train of thought. He meant it when he said the question seemed out of left field. "Is this about Headmaster Une?"

Trowa hesitated. It would be easy to lie, but for some reason, he didn't feel like he could do that to Quatre, despite their not being very close. "Not exactly." He wasn't even sure why he wanted this answer from him, but something compelled him to get it.

It was obvious Trowa didn't want to talk about his reasons for asking, so Quatre relented and attempted to answer the question as best he could. "I have a lot of compassion for them. People have many reasons to fight, but ultimately, they lose more than they gain. I think soldiers lose a lot of their humanity in the face of the violent acts that happen in war." He paused, considering his next words very carefully. "I was involved in the war effort, myself. Not directly, but I… did a little tactical work for some friends. It was something I believed very strongly in," he said quietly. "Everyone was affected by the war in some way, whether they were directly involved or not."

Trowa nodded. He knew that better than anyone. "Did your father know?" At Quatre's look of guilt, he shook his head. "I'm sorry, that was too personal of a question. It's none of my business."

Quatre smiled, though it didn't sparkle like his others did. "No, it's alright Trowa. I'm glad we're able to talk like this, even if it is a morose topic." He took a deep breath. "No, my father didn't know. He knew I was interested in helping the Alliance, but he was adamantly against it. He is a pacifist, and he almost lost his life for it countless times."

"Thank you."

"For what?" Quatre asked, a puzzled expression gracing his fair features.

"For answering my questions. I gave you no good reason to."

Quatre waved his explanation off. "The way I see it, you'll tell me your reasons when the time is right to do so. What right do I have to question that?"

For the first time since his visit with Une three days prior, Trowa's smile was genuine.

---

Wufei was a quiet sort of man. When he spoke, it wasn't just to hear himself speak. If it made him difficult to talk to, it wasn't his problem. He'd made his current friends completely by accident – right place at the right time, or so they told him – and he was content with that. He'd pushed Duo out of the way of a car full of drunken students that had swerved, and ever since, he'd been considered one of the group. Since then, he'd settled into a comfortable companionship that didn't require him to say more than he felt like saying.

It's not like he never spoke, but he tended to use his words sparingly, and those who weren't considered to be core members of the group generally just didn't speak to him at all.

So when Relena Darlian made a beeline for him in the political science department, well away from the safety of Kelby's and the rest of the gang, he raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"I'm glad I ran into you."

He grew more confused. "Because?"

"I need a partner for the presentation in Khushrenada's class. I was wondering if you were already paired up or not."

Oh, that. Wufei frowned. Group work was not something he enjoyed. "Not yet."

She sighed in relief. "Good. I was hoping to partner up with someone I know. I'd hate to get stuck with someone who couldn't pull their own weight."

Wufei eyed Relena for a moment, and much to his chagrin, he knew he wouldn't find a better partner. Not with the group of losers that were in their class. He nodded. "Alright. I'm busy right now, but we can meet up and talk about it tomorrow, okay?"

Relena beamed.

---

Sylvia smiled induldgently, her features tired. "I understand, Heero, but you cannot be transferred to another class. There aren't any classes to be transferred to."

Heero sighed heavily, slumping back in his chair, his expression pensive. "Absolutely nothing I can do at all?"

She peered at him over her desk and had the urge to be close enough to pat his hand. She knew from his sealed records just who he was; she'd had to know to take on her position as his councilor. Seeing the unease she knew he felt written across his face was harder than she had thought it would be.

Since his arrival at ESUNU, she'd only seen Heero Yuy a handful of times, but working in an office setting as she did, it wasn't hard to hear the mention of his name in hushed conversations between the higher ups, though Heero was not what they referred to him as. It was none of her business, but she frowned on them referring to him by his old codename, Zero. As if he weren't more than what he'd been forced to be in the war. If they'd only seen the true pain and regret on that first meeting between them.

If they could only see him now.

The light came through the blinds in thin slates, illuminating the boy in front of her with slices of light. He looked worn, and though his features were young, the swirling in his downcast eyes made him seem much older. She truly felt for him.

"I wish there was something I could do." She meant so much more by that than just his class schedule.

"It's all right. I appreciate your time." He levered himself up out of the chair with a defeated air about him, and she was compelled to speak further.

"Heero," she said softly, and he stopped, not fully turning to look at her, "If you need anything, anything at all, come see me, okay?"

"I will. Thank you, Sylvia." And he was gone.

She doubted he'd ever take her up on the offer, but she couldn't help but hope he would. Her eyes fell to the picture of her grandfather, and she smiled ruefully.

"I'm trying, Grandpa."

She shook her head, turning back to her computer and getting back to work. It was no time to slack off, after all.

---

Dorothy Catalonia smiled to herself, her footsteps echoing loudly in the deserted hallway. Treize was going to allow her to give her presentation the way she wanted, and she couldn't help but feel a little smug about it.

She flicked her long blond hair back, thinking about the look that would be on Relena's face when she gave her presentation on the necessity of war.

Her low heels continued to click angrily across the tile when she saw a very familiar head of brown hair buried in worn hands.

Junior year was shaping up to be a pretty good one, indeed.

Her eyes flicked this way and that, assuring that they truly were alone before nearly purring, "Zero."

Sharp blue eyes rose with a start to lock onto hers, and she grinned maliciously. "I wouldn't have expected to find you in my little corner of the Earth Sphere. Tell me, Zero," she emphasized the name and received the little crease in his eyebrows as a reward, "what brings you to ESUNU?"

His eyes narrowed dangerously, and she had to stifle a chuckle. Still serious.

He tightened his jaw and chewed on something for a moment before nearly spitting, "What brings you out of the wreckage that was Romefeller?"

She laughed airily. "Romefeller is more intact than you might think." She let him digest that for a moment before going on, "I just wanted to say hello to an old friend, but alas, I have much to do and little time to do it."

Heero looked as if he would speak, but just continued his brooding silence. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me." She grinned widely. "But that may not be the case with some of the people you've been mingling with."

She could see the shock register on his face; could almost feel the gears grinding in his head trying to figure out if her statement was a true one, and if it was, who he might be compromised by.

She left him sitting there with his questions, chuckling lightly all the way back to the dorms.

---

It took Heero a while to wrap his head around the fact that he had the misfortune to be attending the same school as Dorothy Catalonia; the girl with forked eyebrows who knew exactly who he was.

She'd keep his secret alright, but it would come at a cost. He just wasn't sure what that cost was yet.

Her accusation of his friends weighed heavy on his mind. He ran over their faces in his mind, but he was sure he would have recognized someone from the war. He remembered the vague familiarity he'd felt when he'd first met Trowa, but he still couldn't make out what, if anything, it meant. Had he missed something?

He stood up, looking at the fading of light that was playing over the scarcely populated campus. It was getting late, but he wasn't sure that he was ready to head home just yet. There was this lingering feeling of loneliness hanging over him, but he refused to pay it any attention.

He headed in the general direction of the quad, killing time until he returned to his quiet apartment. In the distance, he saw a jogging figure with hair that looked suspiciously like a long braid, and sure enough, within minutes, he'd come face to face with Duo Maxwell.

He was panting slightly, his face flushed. "Hey 'Ro!"

Heero still wasn't used to the nickname, and a pleased smile came to his face. "Running from something?"

"Complacency," he replied with a grin. "Care to join me?"

He wasn't dressed for a jog, his blue jeans just a little too constricting, but he found himself nodding in agreement anyway. He let Duo set the pace and they ran in companionable silence for a while, Duo leading the way around the campus.

It was freeing. Heero could feel his muscles heat up, and though he was far from inactive, with all that he's been doing lately, he hadn't really had much time for exercising. The wind whipped across his face, clearing his mind and allowing him to come completely into the here and now; just a couple of guys letting off some steam and stretching much needed muscles.

He didn't really lose his breath, but he was breathing a touch heavier by the time Duo called a halt. They had run for nearly an hour and Heero had barely broke a sweat.

Duo was panting again, albeit still not as hard as a normal person would be, which made Heero wonder. Duo was definitely in good shape; he had lean muscle and not an ounce of fat, but it took more than a little running to build up that kind of endurance.

Could he be who Dorothy was talking about?

He squashed that thought, remembering with a pang what Duo thought of the military in general.

"I can't believe you kept up! Look at you!" He exclaimed in a rush of breath, "You're not even sweating!" He laughed a little incredulously.

"What can I say? I don't like complacency, either."

Duo grinned. "Fair enough." He smelled his shirt and made a face. "I think I need a shower." Heero chuckled. "What are you doing out here so late, anyway?"

Heero frowned. "I needed to see the councilor about a class."

Duo smirked, amusement lacing his words. "You couldn't get out of Khushrenada's class, eh?"

Heero turned wide eyes on him, and Duo just chuckled. "I hear you're not the only one protesting his takeover of the Freshmen classes."

Heero shook his head. "The man is insufferable."

Duo glowered. "You're telling me. I'm sure he remembers me." He grinned a bit evilly. "I doubt anyone in that class could forget little ol' me."

Heero raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Let's just say I gave him a run for his money."

Heero refrained from comment.

"Want to hit the showers with me? The locker room is still open."

"Sure."

Duo grabbed two towels off the rack, tossing one at Heero. He caught it with ease and watched Duo retrieve some clothing from his locker.

"You play sports?"

"I've been known to join the track team from time to time, when it doesn't interfere with my schedule." Duo threw a pair of shorts and a tank top at him, and with his hands full, he wasn't quite able to grab them both and he ended up with a pair of shorts covering his head. Duo chuckled and just headed for the showers with Heero close behind.

It was one of those open tile showers with towers that held showerheads for mass use, and they each picked a side and stripped. Heero adjusted the water and stepped under the warm spray, completely unabashed by his nakedness.

Duo followed suit, though with a faint blush on his cheeks. Duo had showered in groups a few times before, but groups implied more than just one other person, and he found himself a little uncomfortable. Distracted, he moved under the spray when it was still too hot, and he yelped, quickly adjusting the temperature to a milder one.

Heero looked up at him, amusement plain on his face. His eyes lingered on the reddened skin for a long moment before turning back to his own spray.

Duo flushed further.

When Duo began to soap up, he realized Heero didn't have any, and when he was done, he slid it across the floor in his direction.

"You dropped the soap, Heero."

Heero grinned, kneeling down to pick up the offering. Duo's gaze stayed on him.

Heero's eyes locked with Duo's, and for a long minute, the world seemed to stop.

Then Heero went back to his shower and the moment was gone.

It wasn't much longer, and Duo donned his clothes, ringing out his dripping braid. He hadn't bothered to unravel his hair; it was too much of a hassle to deal with without a good amount of conditioner.

When Heero was dressed, Duo took the towel from him and tossed them into the dirty bin.

"Do they make you take group showers in the dorm, too?"

Duo cracked a smile. "No, thank god. There are stalls. There are a few choice people in the dorm that I'd prefer not to see naked." He shuddered, and Heero wasn't sure if he was faking it or not. "What do you say you join me on these runs a little more often?"

Heero smiled. "I'd love to."

"You're not that bad of a runner yourself." Duo turned a critical eye on him. "Maybe you should try out for track."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Duo tried to smile around a yawn, but it ended up just looking comical. Heero chuckled at him. "You should get some rest. I need to be getting home, too."

"Okay. See you in the morning, 'Ro."

Heero walked home, the air chilling his skin and tried to think about anything but the soft run of water running over the curve of Duo's hip.

This wasn't part of the plan. It couldn't be allowed. Especially not with Duo's attitude towards what he didn't know Heero had been.

It wasn't plausible. But it didn't stop him from remembering the pink tinge to Duo's skin when his eyes lingered for just a moment too long.


End file.
